Electronic torque wrenches are used to apply torque to a work piece and to measure the torque applied to the work piece by the wrench. These wrenches can indicate to the user when the work piece has been torqued to the appropriate torque value, e.g., 100 ft-lb. Some electronic torque wrenches also measure the angle at which the work piece has been rotated.
Some fasteners require a particular fastening procedure, such as applying a certain amount of torque and/or angle before the final torque and/or angle value are achieved to ensure proper tightening. For example, an aerospace fuel line nut requires a specific rundown angle, seating torque, and final torque and angle to determine if the joint seats correctly. However, the optimal torqueing operation is not always known and must be ascertained through trial and error. Therefore, there exists a need for a torque application tool that can monitor and record the amount of torque and/or angle applied to a work piece in real time, and then transfer this data to an external device for further review and analysis to ascertain the optimal torqueing procedure.